1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to determining analyte concentrations within living tissue. More particularly, this invention relates to a device for attaching a portable window to living tissue for consistent transfer of thermal spectra to and from the tissue.
2. Description of the Related Art
Millions of diabetics are forced to draw blood on a daily basis to determine their blood glucose levels. A search for a noninvasive methodology to accurately determine blood glucose levels has been substantially expanded in order to alleviate the discomfort of these individuals. A significant advance in the state of the art of noninvasive blood glucose analysis has been realized by an apparatus taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,198,949, titled SOLD-STATE NON-INVASIVE INFRARED ABSORPTION SPECTROMETER FOR THE GENERATION AND CAPTURE OF THERMAL GRADIENT SPECTRA FROM LIVING TISSUE, issued Mar. 6, 2001, and by methodology taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,028, titled METHOD FOR DETERMINING ANALYTE CONCENTRATION USING PERIODIC TEMPERATURE MODULATION AND PHASE DETECTION, issued Dec. 12, 2000, as well as the methods and apparatus taught in the Assignee's U.S. Pat. No. 6,580,934, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING ANALYTE CONCENTRATION USING PHASE AND MAGNITUDE DETECTION OF A RADIATION TRANSFER FUNCTION, issued Jun. 17, 2003. The entire contents of each of the above-mentioned patents and of the above-mentioned patent application are hereby incorporated by reference herein.